Shadow Traveling Into a Nightmare
by PiperElizabethMcLean
Summary: Nico takes Persephone's suggestion to keep from being bored; so he shadow travels to a random place. With Nico's luck, it is no suprise when it ends up being Victoria's Secret... And when he meets a familiar face there, everything turns embarrassing. Two-shot!
1. Chapter 1

Shadow-Traveling Into a Nightmare

Nico was bored. Incredibly bored, actually. He just wanted something to do.

"Nico, get out of here. You've been sitting around my throne room all day" Hades growled from his tall and dark throne.

Nico yawned and sat up in his own throne. "What do you expect me to do? I can't just disappear to anywhere." he argued.

"I have an idea" Persephone said from her own throne. "You can play the shadow-traveling game. Instead of thinking of where to shadow travel, just... Go. See where it takes you."

"Why not" Nico said, shrugging. It actually sounded interesting, too.

"Be back by dinner. Mother is cooking tonight" Persephone fake-smiled at her step son.

"Sure" Nico said, concentrating on not concentrating on where to go. He closed his eyes tight and dug his nails into the palm of his hands when he made a fist.

Before he knew it, he felt like he was dizzy and he opened his eyes. He was standing in the middle of a hallway... Of a dressing room. He could tell by the doors on either side of his that had... Clothes hanging from the hooks. But they weren't regular clothes. They were bras, panties, intimate items and even the T-word Nico couldn't seem to pronounce without blushing. His eyes widened as he looked around for an exit. He couldn't just shadow-travel out; he had to wait a few minutes or he'd pass out.

Suddenly a door eased open right in front of him. He panicked and slipped into a dressing room that he thought was unoccupied. But, with his luck, it wasn't.

"OH MY DEAR GOSH!" The lady screamed. She was admiring her... Um, lacy dress-type thing (Nico did NOT feel comfortable saying corset) when he barged in.

"YOU PEEPING TOM!" She screeched, slapping his face. He cradled his burning cheek as he ran out of the dressing room.

But not before running into a familiar face. He tackled her, sending her sprawling into the floor. She dropped her purse and Victoria's Secret bags, the store he assumed he was in.

"Nico?"

"Thalia!" Nico shouted, covering his eyes.

"What are you DOING?" She shouted.

"What are YOU doing?" Nico demanded without looking at her.

"Er... Shopping!"

"But you don't need that... Stuff! You're a hunter!"

"Nico." Thalia hissed, obviously PO'd now. "I'm a girl. I need bras, too-"

"LA LA LA LA LA" He sang loudly over her voice. He was NOT having this conversation in the hallway floor of a Victoria's Secret changing room.

"Just get out of here!" She shouted angrily.

"I'm so sorry!" He yelled again as he ran out of the dressing rooms.

"Sir, please refrain from running" A worker called to him as he bolted towards the doors, knocking over mannequins and displays on his way. He ran straight into a mannequin dressed in fuzzy... Stuff. He wondered how that could even cover someone.

He finally found a dark corner, and despite the headache he was guaranteed to have, he shadow-traveled to the Throne Room in the Underworld.

"Nico, how was your adventure?" Persephone asked when Nico arrived, panting and desperately rubbing his eyes.

"I'm ready to hear this" Hades chuckled. He, of course, knew what had happened.

"I HATE MALLS!" Nico yelled, running out of the room.

"He went to a mall?" Persephone asked, confused.

"Not just a mall..." Hades laughed evilly.

"Hades, have you been controlling his shadow-travelling again?" Persephone accused, laughing as she exited the throne room to find the grossed-out Nico.

"You know I had to" Hades chuckled darkly.


	2. Chapter 2

Shadow-Traveling into a Nightmare

It had been a while since Nico had last shadow-travelled into Victoria's Secret. Actually, it had been four years, and he had _almost_ forgotten about it... until his sixteenth birthday.

Percy and Annabeth were setting up a "surprise" party at camp (but, of course, Nico knew about it) and were expecting him any second. The only problem was he needed permission from his father to leave the underworld (he was grounded- long story short he was caught in a bad position with a daughter of Demeter).

Nico pulled a brush through his jet-black hair. Most people said black hair isn't really a color; that it's just really dark brown. But they're wrong- Nico's hair was the darkest black you could ever imagine.

Today Nico was sixteen- well, he looked like a sixteen year old. Who knew how old he really was? Anyways, Nico loved thinking he was finally sixteen. He could be a legal driver now- everyone always said sixteen was the best age to be.

He pulled a watch over his hand and onto his wrist- his new weapon of choice. He had gotten the idea from Percy's watch; it changed into a nice and sharp knife. Nico still had his skull ring, though, along with that super cool shark-tooth necklace Percy gave him for Christmas. Hey- don't hate. Nico sort of liked it, okay?

"Hey, Dad?" Nico walked into the throne room, twisting his bracelet nervously. "May I speak to you?"

"Yeah," Hades sighed. The ruler of the Underworld had much better things to do than listen to the dramatic Princess- oops, _Prince_- whine about being grounded. "Hurry, son."

"I, uh, wanted to see if you'd turn my shadow-traveling abilities back on just for today... Just, uh, you know, because today?" Nico stuttered. He realized how much of a scared, little kid he sounded like. "Turn my shadow-traveling back on."

Hades stared down in his son's face. He really didn't want to sit around and hear this all day. He had a meeting with the three judges, the Furies, and Charon. "Look, kid. If you want to go somewhere today, I suggest walking. Give me one reason why I should let you have those privileges back. Specifically on this day."

Nico stared up at his father. His father, who looked so much like himself. His father, who had forgotten his only son's birthday...

But, Hades hadn't forgotten. He knew _exactly_ what today was. Heck, he had waited _years_ for his som to turn sixteen. Especially after that whole prophecy thing was cleaned up when the Jackson kid "saved the world". But that didn't mean he had to show any emotion towards anybody, his son or not.

Persephone looked at her husband from her own cold, stone throne. Then, she looked at her step son.

"Hades, let him go."

Hades studied his wife. Of course she'd take his side. She took anyone's but his these days. "Why should I?"

Persephone thought for a moment. Did her husband really act like this to his son? On his birthday? "Hades, give him the privilege, and I'll stay for an extra month this year."

It was a lot to bargain with; giving an extra month of winter to the mortals. But if things got a little interesting around here... just once... it might be a good enough deal.

Hades's eyebrows rose slightly. His wife- the one who looked forward to her time AWAY from him was offering more time down in the Underworld.

"Only for today," Hades decided. "Now, Get out of here. I don't have all day."

Nico nodded, but not enthusiastically. Of course, he was never enthusiastic, but he had a small thought in his mind. Why couldn't his dad remember his birthday? How hard would it be to remember one day of the year and tag it in his mind that it was his only son's birthday?

But it didn't matter. As long as he could get to camp and see his friends.

He didn't want to think of the Underworld anymore. He just wanted to be at camp, with Percy and Annabeth. At least _they _knew it was his birthday.

Nico had gotten really good at shadow-traveling, he didn't even need to really think about where he was going. He just... went.

So Nick backed into the shadows of the hall right outside the throne room. He closed his eyes... and just went.

The dizzy feeling made Nico close his eyes. All he needed was a few seconds; he didn't have to concentrate.

His head hurt when he opened his eyes, and he had to steady himself on a nearby table with one hand. With the other, he rubbed his temple, keeping his eyes closed.

Nico's hand felt soft, lacy fabric. Fabric he'd never owned... So why was it in his cabin, at camp?

_No_, Nico thought. _This can't be..._ I _can't be in that _place _again_.

Slowly, Nico opened one eye, his hand frozen on his temple, and the other frozen on top of a table of panties.

_Oh, Hades_, Nico's thoughts screamed. _Not again_. He really couldn't have ended up here... again.

Nico searched the store frantically for an exit, but couldn't move. He was like a deer in the headlights. Where the Hades was he, anyway? The last tI me he was at this store- if you can call it a store- he was in the dressing rooms... But that had been four years ago, and they had rearranged the... merchandise.

"Sir, can I offer you a catalogue-," a sales lady smiled, walking up to Nico. Her name tag read Celeste.

"Get away from me!" Nico screeched, his eyes widening as the mannequins around him came into view. _Oh, Hades... The winter editions.._

"But, sir," Celeste looked confused, starting up again, "I'm sure the girl you're shopping for would just _love_ a catalogue-"

"I'm good," Nico swallowed, desperately searching for the exit. "Thanks, anyways, I guess..."

"Nico?" A girl's voice called out from behind him. Nico's whole body froze. _Not again. Why does this always happen to me?_

"It seems like every time I come in here, I see you, Nics."

"Thalia..." Nico's mouth seemed to dry up. Why was she holding an armful full of... Of... Thongs? And was that a... Corset? Why was she holding a pink transparent bra? "What... Why...?"

"Not this again," Thalia sighed loudly. "Look, Nico, I am a girl. I need bras, because-"

"Stop," Nico squeezed his eyes shut, "Just... Stop."

"Why are you even here?" Thalia asked, looking around the store. Could Nico be here with a girl?

"I could ask you the same question," Nico said, covering his eyes with one hand, but peeked out between his fingers. There was one mannequin the workers forgot to dress... _Snap out of it._

"Nico, I've grown. I need a different bra size-" Thalia didn't finish, because Nico's face was tomato-red now.

As much as Nico wanted to think about Thalia's... Er... Growth, he didn't want to discuss it with her.

"I meant, shouldn't you be somewhere with the Hunters? Geeze, Thalia, I didn't need to know personal details."

"I guess with living with girls for this long I've forgotten about personal stuff." Thalia laughed. "Nothing is secret at camp."

"Where's the exit?" Nico asked, feeling extremely uncomfortable. There was a rather... Large woman checking out the youth bikinis.

"Oh, you don't want to stay and help me pick out a nice pair of-"

"Oh, dear Cerberus, no. Just let me leave already." Nico said, feeling uncomfortable yet again.

"Most boys your age would love it here," Thalia laughed.

"Yeah, well, most boys my age don't arrive in a Victoria's Secret unexpectedly," Nico argued. It was true, though, he couldn't stop looking at those mannequins... "And I seem to remember you flipping out the last time I saw you here."

Thalia's face started to grow red. "Yeah, well, that's because I was in the _dressing rooms_." She retorted.

"Oh, lovely." Nico said, shuffling his feet. "Exactly what I want to think about."

"The door is over there," Thalia sighed, "But you're gonna have to pass those girls over there on your way out. Good luck."

Nico hurried towards the door. Halfway there, he realized what Thalia meant.

There was a whole group of teenage girls, most of them holding bras four-times-too-small up to their chests... Or T-words up to their... Lower parts...

_Oh, what the heck did I deserve this for_? Nico thought as he held his hand up to cover his eyes.

"Bev, do you see that? He just waved at me." A girl called out to her friends. Nico's cheeks flushed.

"Oh my," Another girl breathed loudly, "He's _Got _to be as fine as Taylor Lautner."

"Dibs!" A girl screeched, "Tiffany, will you walk with me to get his number?"

Nick pushed a rack of corsets- ew- out of the way and walked faster towards the exit. There was no way he was chatting it up with a group of mortals in a _Victoria's Secret store._

Nico practically ran to the GameStop across from that horrible store. As soon as he got there he found a shadowed corner and deliberately thought of camp.

Camp. Camp Half-Blood. Camp. Camp. Camp. Not Victoria's Secret; Camp!

Nico opened one eye slowly, just to make sure he was in the right place this time.

~oOo~Back in the Underworld~oOo~

Hades watched through a flame in his fireplace as his sun met up with Percy Jackson at camp and told him what he had just been through. Persephone pursed her lips at her husband.

"He'll thank me is few years," Hades shrugged.

"You didn't forget, did you?" Persephone asked.

"Of course I didn't." Hades smirked.

**Hey, guys! I was looking through my stats and saw that this is the most reviews I've had on a one-shot... And I went back and re-read it... And BAYUMM I got the idea for this. It came almost instantly. So I typed it out and everything and here it is! **

**This story is strictly a two-shot now, there will be no more chapters... :)**


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